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One Health: White Tailed Deer

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These data, and all the information contained therein, have been collected by the

U.S. Department of Agriculture's Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business

Services’ (MRPBS) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and/or

Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS), or by its cooperators on APHIS’ and/or AMS’

behalf, for restricted government purposes only and is the sole property of MRPBS,

APHIS or AMS. Data may be disseminated on a need-to-know basis only and must be

used for their intended government purpose(s).  All information contained within

these data are subject to required Federal safeguards and shall only be shared

and/or used consistent with the Trade Secrets Act [18 U.S.C. 1905], the Privacy Act

of 1974, as amended [5 U.S.C. 552a], the Freedom of Information Act [5 U.S.C. 552],

the confidentiality provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 [7 U.S.C. 2276],

Section 1619 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 [7 U.S.C. 8791], and

other applicable Federal laws and implementing regulations, as well as with the

confidentiality or non-disclosure provisions of any other agreement entered into

between MRPBS, APHIS or AMS and a cooperator.
Between November 2021 and April 2022, APHIS, in collaboration with State and

Tribal wildlife agencies, conducted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in wild white-tailed

deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Thousands of respiratory and blood samples were

collected from free-ranging white-tailed deer across 27 States.

Use the map below to learn how SARS-CoV-2 has impacted white-tailed deer by

State.

SARS-CoV-2 in White-tailed Deer

In collaboration with its partners, APHIS is using a targeted multi-year surveillance

approach to monitor and study wild cervid populations across the country.

Conducting surveillance and research studies is helping APHIS to understand if

cervids are acting as host or “reservoir species,” meaning if the virus survives in

animals, which allows it to potentially mutate into new variants. APHIS aims to better

understand the potential impacts of SARS-CoV-2 at the wildlife and human interface.

While experts are still learning about SARS-CoV-2 in animals, there is currently no

evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus to humans.
However, since wildlife can carry multiple zoonotic diseases, even without looking

sick, it is always important to enjoy wildlife from a distance. For more information,

please contact: APHISpress@usda.gov.

This data, and all the information contained therein, have been collected by APHIS or

its cooperators on APHIS’ behalf for restricted government purposes only and is the

sole property of APHIS. See full disclaimer.

Related Information

APHIS Researches SARS-CoV-2 in White-tailed Deer (video)

Frequently Asked Questions: SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Free-Ranging Deer and

Other Cervids

Frequently Asked Questions: SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Free-Ranging Deer and

Other Cervids (Spanish)

Frequently Asked Questions: SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in Free-Ranging Deer and

Other Cervids (Hmong)

Summary of SARS-CoV-2 Variants Detected in White-tailed Deer from October

2021 to October 2022 (chart)

White-tailed Deer Surveillance Efforts Across the United States by Sampling

Week, October 2021 to October 2022 (chart)

Other White-tailed Deer Studies

Information from the map above provides reference to these studies.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Free-ranging White-tailed Deer in the United States 

This study by APHIS, University of Missouri, and Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, found evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spilled over from humans, circulated in

white-tailed deer populations, and potentially spilled back into humans.

SARS-CoV-2 Occurrence in White-tailed Deer Throughout Their Range in the

Continental United States 

This paper by APHIS releases national information about SARS-CoV-2 detected in

cervid populations.
Accelerated Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Free-ranging White-tailed Deer 

This research by The Ohio State University, its partners, and APHIS, shows SARSCoV-2 spilled over from humans to white-tailed deer in Ohio, that the viruses

repeatedly mutated in deer, and that SARS-CoV-2 was evolving faster in deer

compared to humans.

Epidemiological Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in White-tailed Deer 

This research by APHIS and its partners shows that male deer have higher positivity

rates than female deer, and infection is higher in counties with higher human

population densities.

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